1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a skin treatment system in which a mechanical device is used to apply light abrasive material to the skin of a person undergoing treatment. The process is often termed microderm abrasion, but is also referred to by other terms such as, skin peeling and exfoliation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Microderm abrasion is a procedure that may be performed, for example, to exfoliate layers of a person's skin for cosmetic or other reasons. During the procedure very small particulate crystals having light abrasive characteristics are supplied in a first container. A vacuum air flow is then used to entrain the crystals in air and apply them onto the skin of a person through an application wand. As the wand sprays crystals against the skin of the subject, the crystals, along with dead skin cells are then vacuumed by the wand and returned through a separate hose and deposited in a second container to be discarded. The operator must replace or refill the first container when it runs out of crystals, and also empty or discard the second container when it becomes full.
Conventional microderm abrasion devices are described for example, in U.S. Publication No. 2005/0245180 published Nov. 3, 2005, U.S. Publication No. 2004/0243149 published Dec. 2, 2004, PCT Application No. PCT/FR2003/003125 published by WIPO as WO 2004/037098 on May 6, 2004, French Patent No. 2,845,885 filed Oct. 21, 2002 and French Patent No. 2,845,886 also filed Oct. 21, 2002.
While conventional microderm abrasion devices do perform their intended function, they present considerable drawbacks. One problem of such conventional systems is that, while the crystals are being strayed against the skin, the operator must keep the wand in constant motion to avoid over-treatment on a specific area. This is a safety issue that makes the treatment depth very operator dependent. If the operator applies the wand in such a manner that crystals are sprayed against the same area of the skin for too long a time, skin damage can occur. If the operator does not spray the crystals long enough, exfoliation is inadequate.
Another problem with conventional microderm abrasion devices is that they are highly susceptible to clogging. The crystals must be entrained in air in order to be sprayed onto the skin of a subject. However, due to the narrow and convoluted passageways through which the crystals pass, there is a high incidence of clogging of the crystals in the line. This is usually due to clumping of crystals or the presence of oversized debris in the crystals. Once clogging occurs it can be a difficult, expensive and time consuming process to unclog the system.
A further disadvantage of conventional microderm abrasion systems is that the manufacture and repair of these machines and the provision supply parts is expensive. When clogging occurs it is often difficult to locate and clear the obstruction. A lay person is often unable to repair the machine. Therefore, the machine must be sent back to the manufacturer for repair. Even in those devices in which the crystal supply container is disposable, it is often difficult to access and replace by a lay person.
A further disadvantage of conventional system is that, when a consumer purchases a microderm abrasion system, the purchaser will often elect to purchase replacement crystals from a supplier other than the original equipment manufacturer. This causes a loss of revenue to the manufacturer, and also contributes to product malfunctions, which are then blamed upon the manufacturer.